A system constructs a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images where each of the low resolution images includes a plurality of color planes. The system receives the plurality of low resolution images where the plurality of color planes of each of the low resolution images are spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner. Motion data representative of motion of at least a portion of the low resolution images is determined. The high resolution image is constructed, having a resolution greater than the low resolution images, based upon the non-coincident color planes of the low resolution images, together with the motion data.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for constructing a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images, each of said low resolution images includes a plurality of color planes, comprising: (a) receiving said plurality of low resolution images, where said plurality of color planes of each of said low resolution images are spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner; (b) determining motion data representative of motion of at least a portion of said low resolution images; and (c) constructing said high resolution image, having a resolution greater than said low resolution images, based upon said spatially non-coincident color planes together with said motion data.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said color planes of said low resolution images are completely non-coincident.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is implicitly defined.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is explicitly defined.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising constructing a first set of images, where each of said first set of images is based upon a respective one of said low resolution images, and a plurality of said plurality of color planes is at least partially coincident within each of said first set of images.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said motion data is determined based upon said first set of images.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising determining said motion data based upon the luminance of said first set of images.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said color planes of said first set of images is totally coincident.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said first set of images include data representative of red, green, and blue.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of low resolution images is obtained by a digital imaging device.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein said digital imaging device is at least one of a digital still camera, a digital video camera, and digital scanner.
12. The method of claim 2 wherein said low resolution images are in a Bayer pattern.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising constructing a first set of images, where each of said first set of images is based upon a respective one of said low resolution images, and said plurality of color planes is coincident within each of said first set of images.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said first set of images is on an orthogonal grid.
15. The method of claim 5 wherein said first set of images is the result of a CCDDSP algorithm.
16. The method of claim 1 further comprising sensing said plurality of low resolution images with a single charge coupled device.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is predetermined.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image has a greater size than each of said low resolution images.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image has a smaller size than each of said low resolution images.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image has a size the same as each of said low resolution images.
21. The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image includes said plurality of color planes spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein said high resolution image is processed by a CCDDSP algorithm to construct a second image that has its color planes arranged in a coincident manner.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein said plurality of color planes is red, green, and blue.
24. The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is determined based exclusively upon a first color plane of said plurality of color planes having the greatest density in comparison to each of the remaining said plurality of color planes.
25. The method of claim 24 wherein said first color plane is green.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein said plurality of color planes are in a Bayer pattern.
27. The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is determined based upon, at least in part, determining first motion information based exclusively upon a first color plane of said plurality of color planes and second motion information based exclusively upon a second color planes of said plurality of color planes.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein said first motion information and said second motion information are compared against each other for consistency.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein said first motion information and said second motion information are combined to determine, at least in part, said motion data.
30. The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image is in a Bayer pattern where at least one of said plurality of color planes of said low resolution images is shifted with respect to at least one of the other of said plurality of color planes.
31. The method of claim 30 wherein said plurality of color planes is red, green, and blue.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein at least one of said red color plane and said blue color plane are shifted with respect to said green color plane, and said red colors and said blue colors are shifted with respect to each other.
33. The method of claim 1 wherein said motion data is calculated based upon at least a first metric and a second metric, where said first metric is different than said second metric, said first metric is used for a first color plane of said plurality of color planes, and said second metric is used for a second color plane of said plurality of color planes.
34. The method of claim 33 wherein said first color plane is green and said second color plane is at least one of blue and red.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein said second metric is defined by, If x x 1 , . . . 1 x N is an arbitrary N-dimensional vector then the 1 1 norm of x is defined by x 1 : N n 1 x n .
36. The method of claim 35 wherein said first metric is defined by, x : max x n :n 1, . . . , N .
37. An image processor that constructs a high resolution image from a plurality of low resolution images, each of said low resolution images includes a plurality of color planes, comprising: (a) said image processor receives said plurality of low resolution images, where said plurality of color planes of each of said low resolution images are spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner; (b) said image processor determines motion data representative of motion of at least a portion of said low resolution images; and (c) said image processor constructs said high resolution image, having a resolution greater than said low resolution images, based upon said spatially non-coincident color planes together with said motion data.
38. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said color planes of said low resolution images are completely non-coincident.
39. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is implicitly defined.
40. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is explicitly defined.
41. The image processor of claim 37 further comprising said image processor constructing a first set of images, where each of said first set of images is based upon a respective one of said low resolution images, and a plurality of said plurality of color planes is at least partially coincident within each of said first set of images.
42. The image processor of claim 41 wherein said motion data is determined based upon said first set of images.
43. The image processor of claim 42 further comprising said image processor determining said motion data based upon the luminance of said first set of images.
44. The image processor of claim 43 wherein said color planes of said first set of images is totally coincident.
45. The image processor of claim 44 wherein said first set of images include data representative of red, green, and blue.
46. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said plurality of low resolution images is obtained by a digital imaging device.
47. The image processor of claim 46 wherein said digital imaging device is at least one of a digital still camera, a digital video camera, and digital scanner.
48. The image processor of claim 38 wherein said low resolution images are in a Bayer pattern.
49. The image processor of claim 48 further comprising said image processor constructing a first set of images, where each of said first set of images is based upon a respective one of said low resolution images, and said plurality of color planes is coincident within each of said first set of images.
50. The image processor of claim 39 wherein said first set of images is on an orthogonal grid.
51. The image processor of claim 41 wherein said first set of images is the result of a CCDDSP algorithm.
52. The image processor of claim 37 further comprising said image processor sensing said plurality of low resolution images with a single charge coupled device.
53. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is predetermined.
54. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image has a greater size than each of said low resolution images.
55. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image has a smaller size than each of said low resolution images.
56. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image has a size the same as each of said low resolution images.
57. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image includes said plurality of color planes spatially arranged in at least a partially non-coincident manner.
58. The image processor of claim 57 wherein said image processor processes said high resolution image with a CCDDSP algorithm to construct a second image that has its color planes arranged in a coincident manner.
59. The image processor of claim 58 wherein said plurality of color planes is red, green, and blue.
60. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is determined based exclusively upon a first color plane of said plurality of color planes having the greatest density in comparison to each of the remaining said plurality of color planes.
61. The image processor of claim 60 wherein said first color plane is green.
62. The image processor of claim 61 wherein said plurality of color planes are in a Bayer pattern.
63. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is determined based upon, at least in part, determining first motion information based exclusively upon a first color plane of said plurality of color planes and second motion information based exclusively upon a second color plane of said plurality of color planes.
64. The image processor of claim 63 wherein said first motion information and said second motion information are compared against each other for consistency by said image processor.
65. The image processor of claim 64 wherein said first motion information and said second motion information are combined to determine, at least in part, said motion data by said image processor.
66. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image is in a Bayer pattern where at least one of said plurality of color planes of said low resolution images is shifted with respect to at least one of the other of said plurality of color planes.
67. The image processor of claim 66 wherein said plurality of color planes is red, green, and blue.
68. The image processor of claim 67 wherein at least one of said red color plane and said blue color plane are shifted with respect to said green color plane, and said red color plane and said blue color plane are shifted with respect to each other.
69. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said motion data is calculated based upon at least a first metric and a second metric, where said first metric is different than said second metric, said first metric is used for a first color plane of said plurality of color planes, and said second metric is used for a second color plane of said plurality of color planes.
70. The image processor of claim 69 wherein said first color plane is green and said second color plane is at least one of blue and red.
71. The image processor of claim 70 wherein said second metric is defined by, If x x 1 , . . . , x N is an arbitrary N-dimensional vector then the 1 1 norm of x is defined by x 1 : N n 1 x n .
72. The image processor of claim 71 wherein said first metric is defined by, x : max x n : n 1, . . . , N .
73. The method of claim 1 wherein said high resolution image is constructed using at least two types of filters.
74. The image processor of claim 37 wherein said high resolution image is constructed using at least two types of filters.
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November 23, 1999
October 15, 2002
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